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Remove a stripped screw in seconds using a rubber band
Stripped screw? No problem.
Alina Bradford CNET Contributor
Alina Bradford has been writing how-tos, tech articles and more for almost two decades. She currently writes for CNET's Smart Home Section, MTVNews' tech section and for Live Science's reference section. Follow her on Twitter.
Whether you're trying to repair electronics or build something new, there's nothing worse than realizing you're going to need to remove a stripped screw.
Luckily, it's an easy fix if you have a rubber band laying around. Simply place the rubber band over the screw head and push your drill or screwdriver into the rubber band while you remove the screw. That's all there is to it. The rubber band fills the gaps in the screw's head and grips the drill bit or screwdriver blade.
The trick is using a rubber band that is at least as wide as your screw. Thinner rubber bands just won't work. If you don't have any rubber bands, sewing elastic (like the kind in waistbands) works in a pinch, too.